What is your name?
Jason Nijjar.
What is your position with the Y?
Mindfulness Facilitator.
What Y Centre/program do you work with?
Mindfulness Department of the Community Division.
What do you always find yourself saying?
“Be, and enjoy being”
If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world (currently alive) who would you select?
This is more of an idea than an actual person that I can name, whomever is living the complete opposite life to the one I am so that I can gain the contrast in experience – it would be a nice way to refocus anytime I lose sight of who I am and where I’m going.
If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
A Nobel Peace or Literature Prize would be pretty cool.
Please explain one fond memory you have of the Y.
Let’s go back to well before I worked for the Y on this one, when I was about 16 years old in the Lower Mainland. I first started working out at a YMCA and one of the trainers there took some time with me to make sure I knew what I was doing and that I was comfortable/confident in the weight room – this directly influenced the way I interacted with members in my time as a Health Coach/Fitness Supervisor at KFY.
Are you staying connected with your Y family during this time, and if so, how? Absolutely, both departments I have been a part of, we have online meet ups
and sometimes game nights.
Where is your favourite place to “dine”/order takeout in the Okanagan?
Wasabi on Pandosy and Lawrence.
What is your favourite activity while social distancing in the Okanagan?
Lockdown has lead me to buy a videogame system after about 6 years of not having one, so I’ve taken to playing games again, mostly Call of Duty: Warzone.
Who inspires you (within your Y family or elsewhere)?
I receive inspiration from everywhere. Some of the best inspiration comes from watching my friends & family progress or succeed in their lives, careers, and goals.
What are 3 things on your bucket list?
I don’t have a bucket list, if I want to do something I do it, why put it on a list – from my experience, lists like that seldom get completed. Create a plan and go do that thing, if you fail then take it as a lesson and take a new approach. If you’re not willing to take some action on it now it isn’t that important to you.
At the peak of my depression after having had broken my spine, I decided that I needed to change something immediately because I was not happy with my life. Opportunity presented itself, so over the course of about 48 hours I had an emergency visa issued for travel to India, purchased a plane ticket, and hopped on a plane from which I emailed my university professors saying that I would not be writing my exams and I messaged my friend’s saying that I would not be attending my birthday party. Once in India, I went on a spiritual pilgrimage to historical temples where I would have some once in a lifetime experiences. This trip brought me back to mindfulness practices that I had learned in my childhood and changed the course of my life, eventually creating the balanced and healthy perspective that has brought me to the place I am now. I am grateful for where I am going.
What are you passionate about?
Radiating joy, I bring the fun.
What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
Today is pretty sweet.
Second place would have to be that time I was randomly picked out of a crowd of 100,000+ people on the most revered of days to carry the most revered of artifacts into the most revered of temples on that same trip to India that I mentioned earlier, that was cool.
What do you miss the most about your Y before the pandemic?
I miss being able to have random interactions with other members, that fun element is missing.
If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
If I can leave this world with a bit more joy, then I am good to go.
What 3 qualities do you feel your Y exemplifies?
Community, connection, and accessibility.
How does your team/facility/program make a difference every day?
We help people live more rich and meaningful lives.
What words of encouragement would you say to our Y member/participants/families right now?
Everything is temporary, this too shall pass.
What would you like to say to your fellow staff/volunteer team?
Get some rest, you deserve it.
How has your role changed during COVID?
I was supervisor of the health coaching in a world with no health coaching, and then minimal health coaching – the personal trainers went from being trainers to adult babysitters and rule enforcers in a time where nobody was sure what the rules were because they changed day to day. I don’t think people can truly comprehend how mentally taxing this was on the fitness staff, and I’m even more so on the Members Services staff. If you have a chance to share some empathy/gratitude with them I encourage it.
In January, I took on the role of Mindfulness Facilitator and in this realm, which I have had a foot in for 3 years, the way we delivered programs has changed. Everything is online and we are having to adapt in person curriculum to work in an online space. It is a challenge but a worthwhile endeavour.
What does community mean to you?
I grew up in a culture and household that carries the concepts of Vand Chhako (sharing with others and helping those in need) as well as Sewa (selfless service), to me, these are the cornerstones that community is built upon. When people in the community carry these values there are less people that “slip through the cracks” because we are all looking out for one another and everybody knows that support is there for us with whomever we meet. That person is not a stranger, they are your sister/brother.
What is your favourite part of your job?
Doing follow up interviews with participants of the Y Mind programs, it gives me the opportunity to see how far people have come in their growth and development. I get to see the changes in their perspective and approach to life that is leading to more enjoyment in their lives.
What Y team member would you like to give a shout-out to and why?
I want to shoutout Danna Pedersen and Kris Palatin, I always call them my work grandmas and they have always been amazing people for me to talk to when things were good as well as the times when things sucked. Thank you for always being amazing.